Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

Floca, Brian. 2009. MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 9781416950462 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK- 5]

REVIEW

President John F. Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the Moon,” and so we did. This spectacular book describes the story of the Apollo 11 moon landing with so much authenticity and detail that it is breathtaking for all ages, from preschoolers to adults. From the beginning, where “High above there is the Moon, cold and quiet, no air, no life, but glowing in the sky,” to the astronauts getting ready for flight, to the countdown and tension of the liftoff, to the difficulties of landing on the moon, to re-entry when the astronauts are back “To warmth, to light, to home at last,” the reader feels connected to story of Apollo 11. The illustrations are visually exciting, capturing the loneliness and tension of the trip and the overwhelming vastness of space.

CONNECTIONS

This picture book would be a great addition to a study of space and/or the moon. It could also be incorporated with biographies of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. Although more detailed information is included inside the front and back covers, this book could be the catalyst for more research on this and other space missions.

RELATED BOOKS

Other books for young readers about space:
Rocco, John. MOONPOWDER. ISBN 1423100115
Sweeney, Joan. ME AND MY PLACE IN SPACE. ISBN 0517885905
Todd, Traci. A IS FOR ASTRONAUT: EXPLORING SPACE FROM A TO Z. ISBN 0811854620

By Kaye E. Bray